Retractible typewriter stand



E. A. COTTON ETAL RETRACTIBLE TYPEWRITER STAND Nov. 28, 1961 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29, 1959 ATTORNEY 1-951 E. A. COTTON ETAL 3,010,773

RETRACTIBLE TYPEWRITER STAND Filed May 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS E. A. COTTON LEE McCASLIN W. H. SMITH Nov. 28, 1961 E. A. COTTON ETAL 3,010,773

RETRACTIBLE TYPEWRITER STAND Filed May 29, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS E. A. COTTON LEE McCASLIN W. H. SMITH nited States This invention relates to furniture and other equipment of various kinds employed in ofiices, homes and elsewhere and designed for use with other equipment in work areas to facilitate the performance of various kinds of work.

The invention relates particularly to business machines such as typewriters, either conventional non-portable or portable, voice recording and transscribing machines and the like commonly used in conjunction with ofiice or household desks or other furniture and especially with drawers therein.

Typewriters have been mounted on supports of various kinds including desks and have been secured and afiixed in exposed locations or so that they could be moved mechanically from a position of use to a storage area. Such mountings have included platforms supported on leverage mechanisms with suitable fronts for closing the openings of a storage area to conceal the typewriter or by which the typewriter could be pulled outwardly and upwardly to an elevated position of use. Structures of this kind have required a large amount of space and have been complicated, expensive and subject to frequent mechanical failure. Also certain prior devices have had heavy duty pressure spring lifts which have been known to cause injury when operated without a typewriter supported thereon.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the difficulties enumerated and to provide for a typewriter a holder substantially the size of the typewriter itself which holder can be mounted to move into or from a desk and when it is in withdrawn position the typewriter will be in an elevated position of use from which it can easily be moved for storage and with minimum effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical structure readily applicable within a drawer opening of a desk or other article of furniture to replace the conventional drawer, and utilizing a drawer front which can be manipulated for withdrawing a typewriter or other object from the compartment in which it is contained and for elevating the typewriter or other object by the movement of the drawer front forwardly from an upright to a horizontal position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mount for a typewriter including a drawer front and a platform with levers and linkage for suspending the platform with a typewriter thereon from a track and by movement of the drawer front the platform can be moved upwardly to position the typewriter conveniently for use and with means associated with such front for locking the links and levers in fixed position with the typewriter elevated and for readily releasing the same to restore the typewriter to its original or stored position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a typewriter mount including a drawer front and a platform for a typewriter and in which cantilever action is employed in such mounting and with such drawer movable from an upright to a horizontal position to serve as a copy table for holding papers and other equipment.

Other objects and advantages of he invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

P16. 1 is a perspective of a desk embodying one application of t 1e present invention;

' atent FIG. 2, a perspective of a desk drawer embodying the invention;

H6. 3, a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

PEG. 4, a longitudinal section with the drawer pulled out to its fullest extent;

FIG. 5, a perspective of the drawer pulled out and in raised locked position and supporting a typewriter thereon;

FIG. 6, an enlarged fragmentary detail of the locking mechanism taken on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7, a fragmentary perspective of the mechanism including the elevating roller;

FIG. 8, an enlarged fragmentary transverse section on the line 8-8 of HG. 3; and

FIG. 9, an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the supporting track and roller.

Briefly stated, the invention is a typewriter mount including an upright drawer front and a horizontal platform pivotally connected to the front end of the platform and at the lower edge of the drawer mount. The platform is suspended by four hangers adjacent each corner to a side rail carried on a fixed track so that the platform can be swung from a lower position to a higher position and means is provided for swinging the platform including links connected to the sides of the drawer front intermediate the top and bottom thereof and with such links connected to elevator arms, the upper ends of which are pivoted to the side rails and with rollers engaging the rear edges of the hangers at the rear end of the platform so that when the drawer front is pulled forward the rollers will engage and swing such rear depending arms forwardly to raise the platform. Also, the drawer front is provided with a latch at each side which engages the links and holds them in horizontal position and the links are provided with offset forward portions which clear projections, one on each side rail, when the drawer front is upright, but which engage such projections when the drawer front is in horizontal position, it only being necessary to move the drawer front from an upright position to a horizontal position to bring the typewriter out from its stored position to its raised operative position where such drawer front will serve as a table with the parts in locked position and then by releasing the latches at opposite sides of the drawer front restore the typewriter to its stored position.

With continued reference to the drawings, a desk 10 may be of one or more pedestals 11 supported by legs 12 and with slidable drawers 13 and 14. In the present invention the drawer 13 is of a height or vertical dimension slightly greater than that of a typewriter intended to be mounted therein and is adapted to be substituted for a conventional drawer of identical height.

The drawer 13 is adapted to carry a typewriter so that when the drawer is within the desk the typewriter is concealed fully enclosed and protected, and when the drawer is withdrawn or pulled from the desk the typewriter 15 will be disposed at a convenient elevated working position.

In the mounting of the typewritensupponting drawer a pair of opposed tracks or side rails (FIG. 8) on each side are mounted approidm-ately two-thirds of the distance between the bottom and top of the drawer opening, such tracks comprising channel members having intermediate portions 16, a horizontal bottom rail 17 and an overhanging retaining flange 18, such tracks or side rails being fastened in place by means of screws 19 (FIGS. 5 and 9) or other fastening means.

The parallel tracks receive rollers of nylon or other material 20, one at each side, such rollers each having a stub shaft 21 attached to an overhanging track 22 carried by a side rail 23. The track 22 extends above the roller 3 2t) and rides on a roller 24 fixed to the track 16 at each side of the drawer. Thus the side rail and its movable track near the forward end or extension bar can move endwise relative to the fixed track attached within the drawer opening of the desk.

The side members which form the track 22 are adapted to move endwise into and from the drawer opening, the outward movement of these members being limited by means of a stop 25 carried by the track 22. When the stop engages the roller 24 fixed to the track 16 the outward movement of the drawer is stopped, so that thereafter continued pulling force on the drawer front 13 results in the elevation of the typewriter-supporting base from a lowered position to an elevated position for supporting the typewriter ready for use.

The hangers 29 form in effect lift bars. Thus the typewriter-supporting member 26 can readily be swung from its lowered to its elevated operative position. The arms 29 are in the same plane as the reinforcing bars 27 and for this purpose they are connected by ofiset bars 32 fastened to the insides of the bars 27 and connected by pivots 3'3 and spacers 34, the bars 32 being fixed to the reinforcing bars 27.

At the front end of the typewriter mounting platform or base is the drawer front 13, by the tilting forward and downward of which the lift feature of the platform raising it to horizontal use position is actuated, such drawer front having inset sides 35 with concealing flanges 36. The inset sides 35 are provided with reinforcing bars or straps 37 fastened in place by means of screws or other fasteners 38 and the lower ends of these bars are connected by pivots 39 to the side bars 27 so that the drawer front 13 can pivot from a vertical to a horizontal position and by means of the mechanism attached thereto produce the elevation of the typewriter mounting board which in its horizontal position of use serves as a copy table or surface for holding papers, carbons and other articles in the normal use of the typewriter, dictating machine and the like.

The bars 38 slightly below their centers are connected by a pivot 4b with the front ends of links 41, the rear ends of which are curved to form goosenecks and connected by pivots 42. to anchor plates 43. By endwise movement of the links 41 the rear suspension links 29 are engaged and swing upwardly, rollers 44 being interposed between the anchor plates 43 and the suspension links 29 in order to provide friction-free lifting action on said links 29, the rollers 44being mounted on pins 45 attached to such anchor plates. The forward motion of the links 41 is produced by a pull on the drawer front 13 and upon the typewriter mounting board being brought to its elevated operative position the drawer front end mounting plate will be in substantially the same horizontal plane and means is provided for securing such relation, such means including latches 46 having finger pieces 4-7 by which they can be moved endwise to release the same, such latches (Fl-G. 6) being mounted on pins 4t} and 48 carried by the reinforcing bars 38, each latch having slots 49 and St to permit the endwise movement of the latches, a coil spring 51 being attached to the finger piece 47 and to a pin 52 for retaining the latches in operative position, each latch having a notch 53 engaging a stop of projection 54 fixed to the links 41. A supporting pin or projection 55 is provided for supporting the side bars 41 The invention can be of any size to fit'any given area, the principle remaining the same and is limited in its adaptability only by the size of the apparatus to be lifted. This device is not limited to specific types of case construction of design. The device can be fitted into the space normally occupied by a standard drawer, or into a space occupied by a standard file drawer, as convent-ionally used in oifice or household desk, pedestal, or table furniture. It is not limited to a specific size and desk construction. It does not occupy space underneath it, as in most typewriter lifting devices, thus allowing a drawer to be useably installed directly beneath the mounting and elevating mechanism. By reason of its cantilever action, it eliminates the hazard of injury commonly associated with the heavy duty pressnre-spring full-pedestal lifts commonly employed which are usually shipped with a warning sign with respect to inadvertent opening without a typewriter being mounted thereon. When in an open or ready to use position, the typewriter is at correct typing height.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is;

l. A desk having a drawer opening, horizontal tracks in said drawer opening, horizontal rails cooperating with said tracks, rollers between said tracks and rails, depending hanger arms pivoted to the rails, a typewriter or other object mount carried by such depending hanger arms, a drawer front pivoted adjacent the front end of such mount, links pivoted to such drawer front above said mount and extending rearwardly of said hanger arms and having rollers which engage behind said hanger arms and serve to elevate the same when the drawer front is pulled forward, said side rails having pins on which said links are adapted to rest when the drawer front is in horizontal position, said links having offset front portions to permit said supporting pins to pass as the drawer front approaches the vertical position, projections carried by said links and adapted to be disposed at each side of the lower portion of the drawer front when the latter is in horizontal position and latch means for holding the parts in operative position.

2. The combination of a drawer front of the same general vertical and horizontal dimensions as a typewriter or other object to be supported, a pair of tracks for attachment in parallel relation to spaced supports, extension bars mounted for endwise movement on said tracks, forwardly and rearwardly mounted hangers pivoted to swing on each of said extension bars, atypewriter or other object platform supported by said hangers, a drawer front pivoted at its lower edge to said platform, a depending elevating arm pivoted to each of said extension bars adjacent the rear of the same, a link at each side of said platform having its front end pivoted to said drawer front and its rear end pivoted to said elevating arm, a roller carried by each of said elevating arms in a manner to engage the rear suspension arms to elevate the same when said links are pulled forwardly by the movement of said drawer front from an upright to a horizontal position, and means for securing said platform in an elevated position of use and for releasing such platform to allow the return thereof to its lowered position.

3. The combination of a drawer front of the same general vertical and horizontal dimensions as a typewriter or other object to be supported, a pair of tracks for attachment in parallel relation to spaced supports, extension bars mounted for endwise movement on said tracks, forwardly and rearwardlymounted hangers pivoted to swing on each of said extension bars, a platform supported by said hangers, a drawer front pivoted at its lower edge to said platform, a depending elevating arm pivoted to each of said extension bars adjacent the rear of the same, a link at each side of said platform having its front end pivoted to said drawer front and its rear end pivoted to said elevating arm, each of said elevating arms being mounted to engage the rear suspension arms to elevate the same when said links are pulled forwardly by the movement of said drawer front from an upright to a horizontal position, and means for securing said platform in an elevated position of use and for releasing such platform'to allow thereturn thereof to its lowered position.

4. A typewriter or other object mount including an upright drawer front and a horizontal platform of a length substantially greater than the height of a drawer front pivotally connected at its forward end to said front at the lower portions of the latter, spaced depending hangers on each side suspending said platform whereby the latter may be moved from a lower rear position to a higher forward position, elevator arms operatively associated with said spaced hangers on each side of said platform, links pivotally connected to the drawer front intermediate the top and bottom at their forward ends and pivotally connected to said elevator arms at their remote ends for swinging such arms to elevate said platform when the upper portion of the drawer front is pulled forwardly and pivoted about its lower portion to a horizontal plane and to the plane of said platform, latch means for securing said links in forward position with the platform elevated and the drawer front locked in generally flat position to provide a horizontal work surface, said latch means being releasable to allow said drawer front to be returned to its upright position and the platform to be moved downwardly and rearwardly to its stored position.

5. A typewriter or other object drawer adapted to be mounted between spaced supports, a pair of guide rails, a pair of telescoping suspension bars mounted for movement along said guide rails in a substantially straight line for telescoping the suspension bars outwardly and horizontally from said spaced supports whereby the drawer may be fully extended outwardly for raising and lowering of the drawer while in a position unobstructed and away from the spaced supports, depending hangers mounted at their upper portion to the suspension bars and disposed for movement in a vertical plane for raising and lowering said drawer, said drawer including a base member and a front panel, said base member being connected to the lower portions of said hangers whereby the movement of the base member follows a path parallel to the suspension bars while being elevated relative to the suspension bars, a platform lift bar pivotally connected to said front panel and operatively associated with said hangers whereby the pivotal movement of said front panel will cause raising and lowering of the base member while in horizontal position.

6. A cabinet having a drawer opening and a drawer in said opening, said drawer having a generally horizontal supporting portion and a front the lower portion of which is pivotally connected to said supporting portion, suspension links mounting said supporting portion in a manner to permit it to be moved from a retracted position at one elevation to a forward position at another elevation, and means operatively associated with said links and connected to said drawer front in a manner to permit said supporting portion to be moved from the said one elevation to the other and with and during the generally horizontal travel of said drawer front.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 494,764 Sutton Apr. 4, 1893 1,247,964 Keller Nov. 27, 1917 2,532,445 Haberstump Dec. 5, 1950 2,710,783 Chaft June 14, 1955 

